Five Hudson Valley Beers to Cool You Down
I don't have to tell you it's hot outside. But I will: it's hot outside. And although the reports are that the heat will be breaking down a bit over the course of the next few days, one thing you can be sure of is that, until August ends, we will have another few days of sweltering heat.
There are plenty of ways to cool down, but if your method of choice is to hang out indoors as much as possible and enjoy a cold beer, I have two things to say to you:
- Congratulations for being a sane person.
- Me too.
So, as someone who has taken the time to survey the landscape of local beers, I figure this is as good a time as any to give some credit to local breweries who are making the kinds of beers that really do cool you down on a hot summer day.
Rushing Duck - Zingerbier
- This is a really, really refreshing beer. It's got a touch of ginger spiciness to it but it's more than balanced out by how crisp and light-bodied it is, with a lot of citrus to it. It's the kind of beer that you can enjoy in the heat or in lieu of a mimosa if you're ever forced to go to a brunch.
Newburgh Brewing Company - The White Turtle
- I actually just had this one for the first time this weekend and it's everything a wit should be: notes of coriander, citrus peel, and maximum drinkability. I know this one is great for a hot weekend, because it was absurdly hot on Saturday and this hit the spot. This is, if I may appropriate the vernacular of one Paul from Newburgh Brewing: "boss."
Keegan Ales - Bine Climber
- For all my IPA people, I know you need your hop fix. And admittedly, some IPA fans don't care what time of year, what the temperature is, where they are, what time of day it is, they want the biggest, boldest, craziest, hoppiest imperial IPA they can grab. This one won't satisfy those extreme requirements, but if you're looking for hop character in a great, sessionable summertime beer, you can't beat this one.
Mill House Brewing Company - Kold One
- I was originally going to feature the MHBC cucumber cream ale because that thing is so drinkable, especially on a hot day, that it's absurd. But I took a look at what's on tap at the time of this writing and picked this one, because, you know, it's available. Plus, I've never said no to a good kolsch, and if you've ever had one, you know that it certainly fits the "hot day relief" topic perfectly.
Sloop Brewing - Confliction
- You know I couldn't leave my sours off this list. In fact, if you know anything about my beer taste that I've documented on-air and on this website for the past several years, you'd know that Checkpoint Charlie from Newburgh Brewing is one of my favorite beers of all-time and it's definitely a great hot day beer, so it might come as a surprise that it didn't make the list. But Confliction is just a great, unique beer that I absolutely love. I don't want to say that Sloop invented and is entirely responsible for the "hoppy sour" phenomenon that seems to be overtaking the beer (specifically sour-specialty breweries) industry, but all I know is that I remember trying this thing before it had a name, when it was a top secret operation at the Sloop brewery, and everyone's mind was straight up blown by the--wait for it--confliction of flavors between hops and sour. Try it. It's great.
Well, there you have it. And of course, I have about fifty more that I could have thrown onto the list, but in order to keep things under control, I had to limit myself. The point is, good luck in the heat, and try to make the most of it by enjoying some local beer. Oh, and make sure you drink some water along with the beer. Dehydration is a bummer.
If you love craft beer, be sure to join us for the Hudson River Craft Beer Festival at Riverfront Park in Beacon on Sept. 17.